Sensitively tackling the topic of death in schools – Totty Aris
The passing of Queen Elizabeth II has had a profound effect across the world. Just as when other celebrities have died, despite not knowing them personally, many are experiencing a sense of loss and a need to grieve. As with many people in our lives, we feel they will be around forever, until they aren’t. For British citizens she was a pillar of society that formed a constant within the fabric of their culture. For Malta there is a special link, as she spent from 1949 to 1951 happily living here as a young naval wife. Whatever our feelings, managing grief and the consequence of death is something we all grapple with at some point. Understanding death is a challenging school topic, as it is so deeply personal and dependent on circumstances. An expected death, through old age or illness, can be prepared for, yet a tragic accident, a terrorist attack or sudden illness cannot. All kinds of deaths may lead to insurmountable grief to those left behind as they navigate the pain of loss. In schools we need to be culturally sensitive, as the family’s context may vary, from not mentioning the dead person’s name, cutting off one’s hair, to a period of quiet mourning. Sadly, parent deaths...